


eighty-five is a good number

by j_whirl44



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, It's the EdWin proposal but ZolfCel, Other, bc i don't make the rules i just follow them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:07:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29599446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_whirl44/pseuds/j_whirl44
Summary: Zolf almost leaves before offering Cel a proposition.
Relationships: Celiquillithon "Cel" Sidebottom/Zolf Smith
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	eighty-five is a good number

They both sit there at the train station, Zolf’s counting down the seconds in his head. He’s tapping his foot and trying to not look in Cel’s direction. They’re explaining something about his automail. How to keep it in good condition, as if he hasn’t had this bloody leg for years already.

But that’s not the only reason why he’s ignoring them. He’s played the conversation in his head a thousand times over and still can’t get the words to sound right. _ Feryn has given him enough grief about it already. Before he left on his leg of the journey he ruffles Zolf’s hair and gives him a sad pat on the back, “C’mon brother! This is Cel we’re talking about. Our oldest friend! You’re overthinking this,” he says. _

_ Zolf grumbled as he paced around their room, “I know that but that doesn’t make this any less complicated,” he replies. _

_ Feryn rolls his eyes and shakes his head, “all I know is Cel’s a busy person, brother, you can’t wait long,” he says one more time. He gives a cheeky wink before turning himself over in bed. Zolf huffs and stomps to his own bed. He gets another sleepless night. _

The sound of the train horn gets him out of that memory and his stomach drops. Time’s run out and he was too late. He has to leave them now. Without doing what he wanted to do because he was too scared. He bites the inside of his cheek. If Hirald could see him now…

“Knowing you, you're probably gonna break it within a month and come home for maintenance,” Cel says in that matter-of-fact voice that makes his stomach flip.

“Yeah, yeah, right,” he mutters out. His legs are carrying him onto the train whether he likes it or not.

“Well when that happens just call and we’ll set up an appointment,” they ring back.

Zolf waves a hand as he’s still only half listening, but the word ‘appointment’ cuts through his anxious brain fog like a knife.

_ ‘Appointment?!’ _ he thinks. The hand not clutching his briefcase turns into a fist as he turns around to face them.

The playful look they had on their face falters a bit as Zolf stares at them harshly. He’s holding his breath as he examines their face like he’s done hundreds of times before.

Their skin still peppered with little scares around their mouth and nose. Their cheeks flushed. Their hair usually up and styled lays low today and covers their ears, curling at the ends. He smiles and resists the urge to reach out and touch it.

He’ll be the first to admit he’s not a smart man in the way Cel is a smart person. He doesn’t know the first thing about automail or alchemy and how they’re used together, but Cel’s always known. Even since they were kids. He thinks he might know a little about equivalent exchange just by the many, many, times they’ve rambled on about it.

Cel’s expression turns from confusion to concern now and he’s realized he hasn’t moved from his position for a bit.

“Zolf are you...okay?” they ask.

He sighs, “listen… Cel…”

They wait for him to continue, but he doesn’t. “Well what is it?”

He sucks in a big breath and moves his free hands and points in their direction.

“Equivalent exchange,” he puffs out, Cel takes a small step back, “I give half of my life to you, if you give half of yours to me,” he finishes.

That’s not at all how he wanted to say it, but that sure is how it came out.

Cel blinks at him a few times and doesn’t say anything. Zolf’s breathing visibly, his chest falling up and down. They follow it as the words finally hit them.

They give out a frustrated groan and put a hand to their face. “Zolf, I've explained to you so many times that equivalent exchange is just nonsense! Honestly do you ever hear things when I say them, you always do this-”

“What did you say,” he spits out. The irony is not totally lost on him.

“It’s nonsense,” they scream out, “how about I just give you my whole life?” they finish.

They both stand in silence now. The words rack Zolf’s head, he’s not entirely sure that just happened, but the look on Cel’s face confirms it.

Their eyes go wide and they straighten up. They look everywhere but him. They curl in and start counting on their fingers. “Well maybe- maybe not all of it! Ninety? Eighty Percent? Seventy- no no seventy is too low. But eighty-five? Yeah eighty-five is a good number! That could work…”

Zolf starts laughing, all the nerves and anxiety and everything boiling over from before, he doesn’t mean for it to be so boisterous but he can’t help it.

“What,” Cel shreeks, “why are you laughing,” they answer.

“I’m sorry, i’m- i’m sorry,” he wheezes out. He doesn’t stop laughing though.

“Zolf?!” they screech.

“It’s just you’re...you’re incredible,” he says finally as he comes down from laughing.

“You knocked equivalent exchange on its arse in just a few words,” he says. They’re face is still twisted in guarded confusion but they soften up as it turns red quickly. They try to hide the small smile that creeps up as well.

“What does that mean, Zolf, I-”

Zolf cuts them off by finally standing up straighter and looks at them. There’s a soft smile on his face as well. He walks forward and brings Cel in for a hug. 

They don’t reciprocate right away but they do lean into it.

“Thanks for cheering me up,” he mumbles into their stomach.

They stand there embraced for a few moments longer, Cel finally brings their hands up and wraps them into Zolf’s hair. He smiles into it.

“I’ll miss you,” he whispers, they tug gently on his hair. “Goodbye, for now,” he says.

They pull away and Cel’s face is beaming. He blushes, knowing he put that there makes him feel proud, almost.

“Come home soon,” they saw. They bring a hand and cup his cheek a little, before dropping it back to their side. Their face turns mischievous for a second, “maybe i’ll give you a discount the next time I have to fix that leg of yours,” they wink.

Zolf snorts and shakes his head, his smile big and leaving wrinkles in his face.

He suddenly remembers he needs to be on a train that’s leaving any second and he turns to go to it. He looks at Cel again and grabs their hand, he leaves a kiss on the back of it and drops it gently.

They smile at each other one more time before he steps onto the train.

As the train departs the station Zolf looks out the window and thinks about the life he’s led and the life still waiting for him back home with Cel. He smiles and watches the trees past in a blur. His heart hardened, but light.

**Author's Note:**

> A little gift to the Writing Rangers (and a gift to myself) since we finished the FMA:B watch tonight!!! The whole reason that started in the first place was bc we were talking about a FMA:B/RQG AU so I had to write something for it.
> 
> And Zolf is Ed and Cel is Winry you cannot convince me otherwise.
> 
> Anyways thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed <3


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